Mandatory GMO Labeling Bill Passes In New York

Mandatory GMO labeling is one step closer to reality in New York, as of today. The New York State Assembly Committee on Consumer Affairs & Protection just passed a bill to require the labeling of foods made with GMOs. The next step involves taking the bill to the full Assembly for a vote this spring. The voting results are consistent with Americans' opinions of GMO labels: according to an Associated Press survey, 66 percent of Americans would support mandatory GMO labeling. (Another poll, conducted by Consumer Reports, found that that number was actually closer to 90 percent).

"I believe consumers have a right to know what their food contains, be it gluten, sugar, or genetically modified organisms," said committee chairman and assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) after the vote. "GMOs are a departure from time-tested practices that humans have used to adapt the natural world to their needs. I stand with a growing chorus of voices in New York and across the United States who seek more information about the foods they buy."

Unlike many European countries, the FDA does not require any mandatory premarket safety review of GMO foods. Currently only three states — Maine, Vermont and Connecticut — have laws in place for mandatory GMO labeling.